Breaking News - Houston Stringer

United and Instacart partner to offer MileagePlus members $0 delivery fees and bonus miles

6Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

National

United and Instacart partner to offer MileagePlus members $0 delivery fees and bonus miles

United Airlines and Instacart have announced a new partnership aimed at providing MileagePlus members added convenience and rewards while traveling. (File Photo) September 2025 According to both companies, MileagePlus members can now receive $0 delivery fees on Instacart orders placed shortly before, during, or after a domestic United flight. Once activated, members will receive seven days of waived delivery fees on qualifying orders. In addition, new Instacart users who are MileagePlus members can earn 5,000 bonus miles by completing four orders of $35 or more within eight weeks. Members can also earn an extra 5,000 miles by signing up for a paid annual Instacart+ membership and keeping it active for at least 30 days. Existing Instacart users who link their accounts with Mile...

74-year-old man killed in hit-and-run while crossing street in Amarillo

6Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

74-year-old man killed in hit-and-run while crossing street in Amarillo

AMARILLO, TX – A 74-year-old man was struck and killed in a hit-and-run crash while crossing the 700 block of North Mirror Street on foot late Sunday night. According to the Amarillo Police Department, officers responded to the scene around 11:18 p.m. and found the man lying in the northbound lanes. Investigators say the man was pushing a wheelchair and attempting to cross Mirror Street from east to west when he was hit by a vehicle that fled the scene. The man was pronounced deceased at the location. An autopsy was ordered by Potter County Justice of the Peace Robert Taylor. The case remains under investigation by the Amarillo Police Department’s Traffic Investigation Squad. Anyone with information is urged to contact law enforcement.

Aeroplan launches Points Matching Week to support air travel for children needing hospital care

6Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Canada

Aeroplan launches Points Matching Week to support air travel for children needing hospital care

MONTRÉAL, QC – According to the Air Canada Foundation, Aeroplan’s annual Points Matching Week in support of its Hospital Transportation Program has officially launched and will run through October 12. Photo Courtesy of Air Canada Aeroplan and its partners TD, CIBC, and American Express will each match donated Aeroplan Points up to 10 million points. With Aeroplan also matching, members’ donations will be tripled, significantly increasing air travel support for families whose children require specialized medical treatment outside their home communities. The Hospital Transportation Program has been providing flights for pediatric patients and their guardians since 2003. In 2024, 379 flights were arranged for 129 families across Canada. The program works with Canada’s Children’s Hos...

Former Amazon employee arrested for making online threats in Hillsborough County

6Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Florida

Former Amazon employee arrested for making online threats in Hillsborough County

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL – The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested a former Amazon employee accused of sending threatening emails to the company following his termination. According to investigators, 29-year-old Christopher Allen Colontonio, a former employee at the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Ruskin, sent two threatening emails to the company on September 27, 2025. Detectives identified Colontonio as the suspect, and he was arrested on October 1, 2025. Sheriff Chad Chronister stated that the department will not tolerate individuals who attempt to intimidate or spread fear within the community, emphasizing that threats made online will be investigated and prosecuted.

Armed robbery at Beaumont Express Mart leads to multiple arrests and federal charges

6Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

Armed robbery at Beaumont Express Mart leads to multiple arrests and federal charges

BEAUMONT, TX – Beaumont Police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred at the Express Mart located at 1755 East Cardinal Drive. On October 2, 2025, at approximately 1:28 a.m., two armed suspects entered the store through the rear door and stole about $200 in cash and several packs of tobacco products. The suspects fled on foot toward an apartment complex on South Martin Luther King Parkway. A follow-up investigation led detectives to identify a suspect vehicle. Special Assignment Unit officers and detectives located the vehicle at a residence in the 3100 block of Grand Street and detained 19-year-old Marvin Watts of Beaumont after surveillance. Multiple pieces of evidence found in the vehicle and on Watts’ person linked him to the robbery. The robbery investigation is on...

Suspect accused of ramming vehicle and threatening victim arrested by SWAT in Kyle

6Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

Suspect accused of ramming vehicle and threatening victim arrested by SWAT in Kyle

KYLE, TX – Hays County SWAT executed an arrest operation on October 3, 2025, resulting in the arrest of Mohammed Al Anaiza, who was wanted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. According to investigators, Al Anaiza allegedly rammed the victim’s vehicle, threatened to kill the victim, and menaced her with a firearm. Following the investigation, the Hays County Criminal Investigations Division obtained arrest warrants for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. SWAT operators located and apprehended Al Anaiza in the 1700 block of Bebee Road in the unincorporated area of Kyle. The arrest was made without incident. The Hays County Criminal Investigations Division continues to investigate.

Suspect arrested in Moline bank robbery, facing extradition from Iowa

6Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Illinois

Suspect arrested in Moline bank robbery, facing extradition from Iowa

MOLINE, IL – The Moline Police Department announced that Michael Schram has been arrested in connection with a robbery at Ascentra Bank. According to police, Schram entered the bank and committed the robbery before fleeing the scene. Detectives with the department’s Special Investigations Group pursued multiple leads and later located and apprehended Schram in Scott County, Iowa. He is currently being held at the Scott County Jail on robbery charges and is pending extradition to Illinois.

Second suspect arrested in September shooting death on Eleanor Drive

6Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Louisiana

Second suspect arrested in September shooting death on Eleanor Drive

BATON ROUGE, LA – Baton Rouge Police Homicide detectives have arrested a second suspect in connection with the shooting death of Joseph Mitchell that occurred on September 17, 2025, in the 3900 block of Eleanor Drive. Larry Thompson was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on charges of first-degree murder, four counts of attempted first-degree murder, and illegal use of weapons or dangerous instrumentalities.

Failed human smuggling attempt ends with two detained in La Pryor

6Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

Failed human smuggling attempt ends with two detained in La Pryor

ZAVALA COUNTY, TX – A failed human smuggling attempt led to a pursuit that ended in La Pryor after a 17-year-old driver from San Antonio fled from deputies in a Dodge Challenger. The incident began around 8:27 p.m. on October 4, 2025, when a Zavala County deputy heard Texas DPS Communications report a blue Dodge Challenger that failed to yield at the Border Patrol checkpoint in Maverick County, possibly heading north on FM 481. The deputy responded west toward Maverick County to intercept the vehicle. At approximately 8:35 p.m., the deputy attempted to stop the 2021 Dodge Challenger for speeding 104 mph in a 75 mph zone near Chaparrosa Ranch on U.S. Highway 57. The vehicle failed to yield, initiating a pursuit eastbound toward La Pryor, reaching speeds of up to 110 mph and drivin...

Abbott authorizes 400 Texas National Guard members following Pritzker criticism

5Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

Abbott authorizes 400 Texas National Guard members following Pritzker criticism

AUSTIN, TX – Governor Greg Abbott announced he has fully authorized the President to call up 400 members of the Texas National Guard to ensure safety for federal officials. File Photo (September 2025) In a statement, Abbott said, “You can either fully enforce protection for federal employees or get out of the way and let the Texas Guard do it.” He emphasized that “no Guard can match the training, skill, and expertise of the Texas National Guard,” adding that they defend the country with pride. Abbott also noted that Texas continues to have thousands of National Guard members assisting with border security operations. The announcement came after Governor J.B. Pritzker criticized the deployment, stating that no federal officials had coordinated with him regarding the movement of tro...